pennyworth

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English

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Etymology

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From penny +‎ worth.

Noun

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pennyworth (plural pennyworths)

  1. The amount that can be bought for a penny.
    Coordinate terms: halfpennyworth, tuppence worth
    • 1832, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Heath's Book of Beauty, 1833, The Knife, page 127:
      She was learned in decocting all kinds of herb-tea, infallible in curing burns, sprains, and scalds ; and not a few pennyworths of gingerbread and paradise (for the latter she was very famous) went among her young customers, for which the till was never the richer.
  2. A small quantity or value.
    Synonyms: halfpennyworth, tuppence worth; see also Thesaurus:modicum
  3. (dated) A good bargain.
    • 1712, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], “The Discourse that Pass’d between Nic. Frog and Esquire South, which John Bull Overheard”, in Lewis Baboon Turned Honest, and John Bull Politician. Being the Fourth Part of Law is a Bottomless-Pit. [], London: [] John Morphew, [], →OCLC, page 30:
      VVilt thou purchaſe it Nic.? thou ſhalt have a lumping Pennyvvorth; nay, rather than vve ſhould differ, I'll give thee ſomething to take it off my Hands.

Alternative forms

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See also

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